ROMANS 8:35

“Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or trouble, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?”

Whenever I travel, I am physically separated from my wife and family. In days past, that meant a daily phone call from a motel room or complete silence. I remember my first trip after I got married was to Liberia. I left my wife who was seven and a half months pregnant for about 3 weeks. And her doctor was with me. Talk about crazy. But I was young and stupid, lol. On that trip there was a phone call when I arrived in Monrovia and one when I returned to Monrovia to fly home. The rest of the time, we were completely separated.

As followers of Christ, that will never happen with Him. Paul begins a five verse dialogue about this topic of separation in today’s verse. Notice how he starts. He says, “Who will separate us,” not “what can separate us.” Matthew Poole references this in his commentary. “he does not say what, but who; though he instanceth in things, and not in persons, yet it is expressed personally, because that these things do commonly do us hurt in the improvement of persons, whether of Satan or wicked men, who are instrumental thereunto.” All the things Paul’s mentions are brought on my individuals.

APPLICATION

The Greek word for “separate” here in today’s verse and also in verse 39 is chorizo. It’s translated as “leave” or “left” over half the times it used in the New Testament. But in Matthew 19:6 and Mark 10:9 where Jesus is talking about the bonds of marriage, it is translated as “separate.” That separation could only be caused by someone else.

So, Paul is saying in today’s verse that all these things – tribulation, or trouble, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword – are powered by others. Don’t forget that Paul knew how it felt to be separated from others. He was thrown into jail, put under house arrest, and struck blind on the Damascus road. He had felt the anguish of separation from others. But he is reassured that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ.

That love transcends time and place. Christ loves us wherever we are. I have read of the many followers who have faced intense persecution and torture for their faith. They tell of an unending reassurance of Christ’s love, even in the darkest cells or prisons. Christ is aware of every breath we take. His love will never leave us or forsake us. His love is secure.

O God, I thank You for the power of Your love in my life and the reassurance You will never leave me.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis).